It's about keeping it pure, staying true to yourself, and respecting your body. No drugs, no alcohol, no promiscuous sex. The issue of sex has become skewed and you may find people that call themselves straight edge and still have promiscuous sex. I personally have never heard of someone breaking edge because they had sex with some one. Although that does not mean I don't consider promiscuous sex part of being straight edge.That's another issue.

Straight Edge originated with the band Minor Threat. Minor Threat was formed in D.C. in 1980. Ian McKaye, vocals, wrote "I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't fuck, at least I can fuckin think," In the song Out of Step which was released in early 1981 on their EP, In My Eyes. This was later coined as straight edge with a song entitled Straight Edge on Minor Threat's next self titled EP later in 1981. The term caught on throughout the D.C. punk/hardcore scene and also spread throughout Boston.

Straight Edge is often abbreviated as sXe. The "X" became associated with Straight Edge because of a loop hole in laws of Washington D.C. at the time. The legal drinking age at the time was 18. Most shows were booked in clubs and bars and this posed a problem for most of the kids going to shows as they were minors. Another law in Washington at the time was that all bars must also serve food. Therefore there was no such thing as a bar in D.C. in 1980, there were only restaurants. Kids worked with bouncers and said they would put X's on their hands to symbolize that they were minors and could not drink. This eventually evolved into a symbol of Straight Edge and kids began to X up even when shows were not at bars.

Originated from the punkrock/hardcore scene. The philosophy/life-choice that humans should have strength, pride, dignity, honor, and self respect; that they shouldn't engage in activities that are a disgrace to their minds and bodies. (such as ingesting and/or becoming addicted to harmful substances for fun, lying and/or being two-faced, and sharing your body sexually with another person when there isn't even a true emotional bond there)

Straight edge is basically living a clean life without drugs, drinking and casual sex. It's living a poison free and keeping yourself safe. It is a choice and it does not make you better or worse than anyone. We all make choices and some choose to be straight edge and some don't. Yes, it's true that some people will stop being sXe when they turn 21 but that is just another choice. Straight Edge is a way of life but has now been formed into a trend. Out there, there are true edgers.

a lifetime commitment never to drink, smoke, or do drugs. some people include abstainence from promiscuous sex. others abstain from caffeine. started in the hardcore/punk scene of the early 1980's in Washington DC.

If you're really straight edge, you don't need to go telling everyone about it, it's something you do for YOURSELF. 99% of the morons with X's on their hands are posers/scenesters obsessed with fashioncore.

Example: A lot of the girls on the "girls gone wild" commercials have big black X's on their hand but they're taking off their clothes for cash. How is that respecting their bodies?

The term originates from a song by "Minor Threat" putting forth the value of a clear mind and a healthy body.

Times as they are, there are now three kinds of sXe'rs.

1. Those who understand what it means. People who value clarity and wish to avoid altered states of perception, poisoning the body, or unsettling the mind. No drugs, some even avoid medicinal drugs as these can alter state of mind. No drinking to excess, as this can alter the mind and poison the body. No promiscuous sex, you got me on this one. These people are, 99% of the time, decent people who see their choices for what they are, choices, nothing more, nothing less.

2. Insecure gits. People who wish to place themselves on a self appointedly superior moral platform, then proceed to brag about how much better they are than everyone else. No drugs. No drink. No Promiscuous sex. No meat. No/very few friends, as few other than those who share their views can stand to be around them for more than ten minutes without driving a lit candle, wick first, into their eye, and injecting them with lighter fluid through the ear.

3. Hardliners. All the stupidity of number two, with knuckledusters. No drugs. No drink. No promiscuous sex. No meat 9 times out of ten. All the clarity with none of the intelligence.

Im not straight edge to be different. Im straight edge because I know its right. Why do I want to get fucked up and forget all the shit that I did that night? No thanks, I want to enjoy my life by remembering it. Think for yourself.